{"id":861,"date":"2026-06-06T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/?p=861"},"modified":"2026-06-06T05:59:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T19:59:53","slug":"a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sweeping <strong>change<\/strong> is arriving on Victorian <strong>roads<\/strong>, and daily driving routines will need a <strong>reset<\/strong>. From this week, new restrictions on in-car <strong>devices<\/strong> bite, and authorities say the goal is <strong>simple<\/strong>: cut distraction, save <strong>lives<\/strong>. \u201cThis is about safer <strong>streets<\/strong>, not catching people <strong>out<\/strong>,\u201d a state spokesperson <strong>said<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>What has changed<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Under the updated rules, handling a <strong>phone<\/strong> or portable <strong>device<\/strong> while driving is even more <strong>restricted<\/strong>. If it\u2019s not securely <strong>mounted<\/strong>, you can\u2019t touch it at <strong>all<\/strong>\u2014not for music, not for <strong>maps<\/strong>, not for quick <strong>notifications<\/strong>. Even brief glances at a <strong>screen<\/strong> in your lap are now <strong>off-limits<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Smartwatches and other wearable <strong>tech<\/strong> also fall under the <strong>ban<\/strong>. If your eyes leave the <strong>road<\/strong> to read a ping on your <strong>wrist<\/strong>, you\u2019re doing it <strong>wrong<\/strong>. Voice activation remains <strong>permitted<\/strong>, but any manual <strong>interaction<\/strong> must be limited, brief, and only when the device is <strong>mounted<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHolding a device, even at a <strong>red<\/strong> light, is still <strong>illegal<\/strong>,\u201d Victoria Police have <strong>reminded<\/strong>. The rule applies whether you\u2019re on a congested <strong>arterial<\/strong> or a quiet <strong>backstreet<\/strong>, in daylight or <strong>dark<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Who needs to take note<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The policy covers every <strong>motorist<\/strong>, but it lands hardest on those who live by their <strong>screens<\/strong>. Rideshare drivers, delivery <strong>workers<\/strong>, and tradies who juggle job-site <strong>calls<\/strong> will need to rethink their <strong>habits<\/strong>. One rideshare <strong>driver<\/strong> told us, \u201cI\u2019ve had to rewire my <strong>workflow<\/strong> to keep everything <strong>hands-free<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Learners and probationary drivers face <strong>tighter<\/strong> limits again. For P-platers, any device use\u2014hands-free or <strong>otherwise<\/strong>\u2014is out while the <strong>vehicle<\/strong> is moving. Parents and supervisors are urged to set <strong>clear<\/strong> expectations before new drivers pick up the <strong>keys<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Penalties and enforcement<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Expect more roadside <strong>checks<\/strong> and fixed cameras that spot phones in <strong>hands<\/strong>. The enforcement net is now <strong>wider<\/strong>, and the grace <strong>period<\/strong> is over. \u201cIf you\u2019re still scrolling at the <strong>wheel<\/strong>, you\u2019re going to get <strong>caught<\/strong>,\u201d a road policing <strong>spokesperson<\/strong> warned.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Penalties are <strong>stiff<\/strong>: fines above five hundred <strong>dollars<\/strong> and four demerit <strong>points<\/strong> for standard offences, with higher hits for <strong>repeat<\/strong> behaviour. For many, that\u2019s not just a costly <strong>ticket<\/strong>\u2014it\u2019s a short road to licence <strong>suspension<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>What you can still do\u2014legally<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>You can use approved <strong>cradles<\/strong> and integrated car <strong>systems<\/strong> like Apple <strong>CarPlay<\/strong> or Android <strong>Auto<\/strong>, provided you don\u2019t pick the device <strong>up<\/strong>. A single, quick <strong>tap<\/strong> to accept a call on a mounted <strong>screen<\/strong> is allowed, but swiping through <strong>apps<\/strong> is not.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Need to change your <strong>destination<\/strong> or queue a <strong>playlist<\/strong>? Pull over and park <strong>safely<\/strong> before you touch the <strong>screen<\/strong>. Emergency calls remain <strong>exempt<\/strong>, but \u201cemergency\u201d doesn\u2019t mean \u201crunning a bit <strong>late<\/strong>,\u201d officials have <strong>stressed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>How to adapt\u2014fast<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>To keep moving without breaking the <strong>rules<\/strong>, set up your <strong>routine<\/strong> before you roll:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul><\/p>\n<li>Mount your <strong>phone<\/strong> properly, pre-load your <strong>route<\/strong>, enable \u201cDo Not <strong>Disturb<\/strong>,\u201d train your <strong>voice<\/strong> assistant, create driving <strong>shortcuts<\/strong>, and plan stops for <strong>messages<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<p>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Why the push now<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Authorities point to stubborn crash <strong>data<\/strong> and rising device <strong>use<\/strong> behind the <strong>wheel<\/strong>. Distraction remains a major <strong>factor<\/strong> in serious collisions, according to road safety <strong>analysts<\/strong>. \u201cLooking down for two <strong>seconds<\/strong> at 60 km\/h is like driving blind for <strong>thirty<\/strong> metres,\u201d the spokesperson <strong>said<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Public sentiment is also <strong>shifting<\/strong>. Many drivers who once resisted stricter <strong>rules<\/strong> now accept that tiny <strong>habits<\/strong>\u2014a glance here, a swipe <strong>there<\/strong>\u2014can carry deadly <strong>stakes<\/strong>. The new framework aims to make the safe <strong>choice<\/strong> the easy <strong>default<\/strong> every single <strong>trip<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Practical scenarios to watch<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If your phone is on the <strong>passenger<\/strong> seat, don\u2019t touch <strong>it<\/strong>. If your smartwatch pings, ignore it until you <strong>stop<\/strong>. If a ride request <strong>arrives<\/strong>, use approved voice <strong>controls<\/strong> or pull over to <strong>accept<\/strong>. And remember: at traffic <strong>lights<\/strong>, your car is still in <strong>motion<\/strong> from a legal <strong>standpoint<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Cyclists and motorcyclists aren\u2019t <strong>exempt<\/strong> either. The device <strong>rules<\/strong> extend to two wheels, with similar bans on <strong>handling<\/strong> screens while in <strong>traffic<\/strong>. Keep your eyes <strong>up<\/strong>, and your hands where they belong\u2014on the <strong>bars<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>What experts recommend<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Safety advocates suggest making distraction reduction a daily <strong>ritual<\/strong>. Build a pre-drive <strong>checklist<\/strong>: mount, connect, set <strong>route<\/strong>, set <strong>mood<\/strong> with one playlist, and switch off <strong>notifications<\/strong>. \u201cAutomation removes <strong>temptation<\/strong>,\u201d says one crash-prevention <strong>educator<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Employers can help by changing <strong>expectations<\/strong>. No more instant <strong>replies<\/strong> while staff are on the <strong>road<\/strong>. Clear policies reduce risk, protect <strong>licences<\/strong>, and keep business moving <strong>legally<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>The road ahead<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>This is a cultural <strong>reset<\/strong>, not a passing police <strong>blitz<\/strong>. The fastest way to adapt is to make \u201cphone-down\u201d a hard <strong>rule<\/strong>, not a soft <strong>goal<\/strong>. Do the setup before the <strong>journey<\/strong>, and let the tech work for <strong>you<\/strong>, not against your <strong>licence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If in doubt, choose the <strong>simple<\/strong> option: park somewhere <strong>legal<\/strong>, handle your <strong>task<\/strong>, then get back to <strong>driving<\/strong>. \u201cWhen the car moves, the phone <strong>stops<\/strong>,\u201d the spokesperson <strong>said<\/strong>. That\u2019s the habit Victoria wants drivers to <strong>keep<\/strong>\u2014and the habit that will keep drivers <strong>safe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":971,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"class_list":["post-861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits - The Ponds | Shopping Centre<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits - The Ponds | Shopping Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Ponds | Shopping Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepondsshoppingcentre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-06T02:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1360\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elliot Wainford\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elliot Wainford\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elliot Wainford\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755\"},\"headline\":\"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-06T02:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":837,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Uncategorized\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/\",\"name\":\"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits - The Ponds | Shopping Centre\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-06T02:00:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg\",\"width\":1360,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Shop At The Ponds\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Ponds | Shopping Centre\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755\",\"name\":\"Elliot Wainford\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"Elliot Wainford\"},\"description\":\"Elliot Wainford is an economist specializing in consumer behavior, retail pricing dynamics, and local market ecosystems. He analyzes how small commercial hubs shape regional growth, employment, and household spending patterns. His work blends applied microeconomics with practical insights for merchants and community planners.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits - The Ponds | Shopping Centre","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits - The Ponds | Shopping Centre","og_url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/","og_site_name":"The Ponds | Shopping Centre","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepondsshoppingcentre","article_published_time":"2026-06-06T02:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1360,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elliot Wainford","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elliot Wainford","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/"},"author":{"name":"Elliot Wainford","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755"},"headline":"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits","datePublished":"2026-06-06T02:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/"},"wordCount":837,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg","articleSection":["Uncategorized"],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/","name":"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits - The Ponds | Shopping Centre","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-06T02:00:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits-861.jpg","width":1360,"height":768,"caption":"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/a-new-road-rule-comes-into-force-across-victoria-and-thousands-of-drivers-will-need-to-change-their-habits\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Shop At The Ponds","item":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A new road rule comes into force across Victoria and thousands of drivers will need to change their habits"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/","name":"The Ponds | Shopping Centre","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755","name":"Elliot Wainford","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png","caption":"Elliot Wainford"},"description":"Elliot Wainford is an economist specializing in consumer behavior, retail pricing dynamics, and local market ecosystems. He analyzes how small commercial hubs shape regional growth, employment, and household spending patterns. His work blends applied microeconomics with practical insights for merchants and community planners.","sameAs":["https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=861"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":958,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861\/revisions\/958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}